Retain The IT Talent You Recruited

Marie Larsen | January 10, 2014 |

As a number of chief information officers and their recruiter associates may know, the information technology industry has been evolving so quickly that it is an uphill battle trying to hire employees who can keep up with the innovative demand. Once corporations get their hands on the talent that they need, they will want to put concerted effort into keeping valuable representatives onboard.

Because of this, not only do businesses have to refine their recruiting practices, but they also have to ensure that they are employing adequate retention measures. With so many organizations on the prowl, battling to fill the numerous vacancies they may have in their tech departments, IT professionals have their choosing when it comes to their potential employers. CIOs who do manage to recruit qualified candidates will have to remain competitive so that their new talent does not decide to take off, which means that they need to offer these specialists a whole slew of benefits to guarantee they are satisfied.

IT tools and personnel alike favor change
The truth is that everything within the IT industry, including the people, is subject to sudden change. Just as rapidly as companies choose to switch systems, tech employees could be looking to swap jobs. According to ComputerWeekly, the search for new employment normally begins at the start of the year, as companies tap into their bigger budgets and move to expand their staff sizes. With more job openings available, IT professionals could be tempted with the thought of a fresh start by leaving their current employment behind and working elsewhere.

That said, employee migration is not inevitable, and CIOs do not have to lose some of their most talented representatives just because these IT professionals came across a more alluring opportunity. If companies make a genuine effort to retain employees they recruited by guaranteeing that their job perks cannot be trumped, these staff members may not look for something more at other companies.

IT executives probably want to know that most effective way to please their employees and keep their staff intact. While there are various factors that play a role in shaping representatives’ attitudes about their jobs, the most significant component that could ultimately influence their employment decisions is salary.

Offer small income incentives
CIOs and other business executives should take the time to review their tech representatives’ salaries at least once a year. The key to keeping employees happy about their take-home pay is to have it steadily on the rise. While offering steep salary increases every 12 months may not be feasible in terms of budget constraints, businesses should give IT incomes a modest boost on a regular basis.

Minor bumps in salary could act as a successful proactive measure. If companies show that they are concerned with their employees’ incomes by making an effort to improve them, organizations could foster staff loyalty and deter personnel from looking to make a change. Oftentimes, CIOs could find themselves in the middle of a salary battle, trying to outbid other corporations to ensure that they can keep their IT talent. These types of situations could prove costly and yet easily be avoided by simply giving tech employees a raise.

Show growth potential
In that same vein, Consulting – Specifying Engineer advised that CIOs encourage specialized employees and promote job satisfaction by showing them that there are plenty of opportunities for growth. Skilled representatives who are in high demand need to know that their careers are on the right track with any given business. For this reason, they need to see that there is room for advancement at their current company so that they are not investing time and effort into a dead-end job when they could be somewhere else that offers better possibilities.

If CIOs give their IT hires hope by clearly outlining the potential progression of their careers, businesses could expect to have employees who are confident in their companies. Staff members who know that they are not going to face hurdle after hurdle when it comes to moving up the corporate ladder at a company are likely to stick with their jobs, eagerly working hard so that they can advance as planned.

Marie is a writer for CIOs.com. She has an educational background in languages and literature. She covers IT trends and executive technology management topics for the company.